Wildlife Journal April 98

Norway and Japan continued to oppose the Irish proposal to save the International Whaling Commission at the IWC intersessional meeting in Antigua in February.

The proposal would allow resumption of commercial whaling of some species in coastal waters for local consumption but declare the deep oceans off-limits for hunting of all species.

"The IWC has been dead for a long time," Jan Kristiansen, chairman of the Norwegian Whalers' Union, told High North Web News. "Some people have, in their naiveté, waited for resurrection of the IWC, but it is now high time to bury it once and for all."

Kristiansen said that people who do not depend on whaling or want to see an end to whaling should not have the authority to tell whaling nations what to do or not do.

Norway and Japan both hunt minke whales under sustainable quotas. Recognizing that minke whales are not endangered, a majority of the nations at the the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 1997 meeting in Zimbabwe voted to downlist the minke whale to allow trade in its products. However, the vote did not reach the required two-thirds majority and the motion was defeated.

For more information on the whaling industry and the IWC, see the November-December issue of NAIA News or visit the NAIA website at www.naiaonline.org.

Ducks Unlimited celebrates eight million acres saved

Officials at Ducks Unlimited announced the completion of conservation efforts on eight million acres of vital wetlands habitat.

"Since the early days of DU, we have recognized that quality habitat is the key to healthy waterfowl populations," said president Gene Henry.

As many as 900 species depend on wetlands for part of their lives and at least 160 threatened or endangered species need wetlands to survive. Wetlands also help alleviate flood devastation, purify groundwater, and provide recreation for million of Americans, according to DU.

The organization was founded in 1937. In the 60 years since, it has restored, enhanced, or preserved wetland and upland habitat in Canada, the US, and Mexico.